The transfer of light-emitting elements, such as LEDs, from an epitaxial substrate onto a package substrate, requires high alignment accuracy. Often, the spacing between light-emitting elements on the epitaxial substrate does not match the spacing between predetermined positions of the package substrate on which light-emitting elements are to be mounted. A conventional approach to this problem has been to individually transfer each of the light-emitting elements onto the package substrate such that adjustments in spacing on the package substrate are possible. Another conventional approach to the problem has been to dispose the light-emitting elements on a stretchable supporting film (such as a blue tape), on which the light-emitting elements are arranged in a two-dimensional array, followed by stretching the stretchable supporting film so as to expand the spacing between the light-emitting elements to predetermined sizes, and transferring the light-emitting elements onto a substrate intended for use.
However, the first conventional approach is meticulous, time consuming, and requires relatively high accuracy in aligning the light-emitting elements onto the package substrate. Moreover, advancements in technology have contributed to a general reduction in the size of light-emitting elements (such as micro LEDs), demanding an even higher level of accuracy, and raising the standards in the transfer and alignment of light-emitting elements onto package substrates. Regarding the second conventional approach mentioned above, a required step of transferring each of the light-emitting elements from the stretched supporting film, i.e., the blue tape, onto the package substrate may result in damage to the light-emitting elements during removal of the same.